Inmate accused of killing Fla. corrections officer

The 24-year-old Sgt. was expecting a son to be born in August

Duty Death: Ruben Thomas - [Lake City, Florida]

By PoliceOne Staff

LAKE CITY, Fla. — A 24-year-old corrections officer was fatally stabbed and another officer injured at a Lake City jail Sunday night.

Authorities said a convicted murderer housed at the Columbia Correctional Institution used a handmade shank to kill Sgt. Ruben Thomas, according to The Miami Herald. Richard Franklin, 37, is serving a life sentence for first-degree murder and armed robbery in 1994.

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A second officer, William Brewer, was injured in the attack. He was treated at a hospital and will not require further medical attention.

Thomas was a six-year veteran of the Department of Corrections, the Suwanee Democrat reported. He and his fiancee had one daughter, 18, and were expecting a son to be born in August.

“The Department is mourning the loss of Sgt. Ruben Thomas,” Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Ken Tucker stated. “Sgt. Thomas is described as a solid and highly respected member of the agency and will be remembered in the highest regard. Our condolences go out to his family.”